Today I’m reviewing The Last Line by Stephen Ronson.

Here’s the blurb.

May 1940.

With Nazi forces sweeping across France, invasion seems imminent. The English Channel has never felt so narrow.

In rural Sussex, war veteran John Cook has been tasked with preparing the resistance effort, should the worst happen.

But even as the foreign threat looms, it’s rumours of a missing child that are troubling Cook. A twelve-year-old girl was evacuated from London and never seen again, and she’s just the tip of the iceberg – countless evacuees haven’t made it to their host families.

As Cook investigates, he uncovers a dark conspiracy that reaches to the highest ranks of society. He will do whatever it takes to make the culprits pay. There are some lines you just don’t cross.

THE LAST LINE is a blistering action thriller combined with a smart noir mystery, played out expertly against the taut backdrop of the British home front.

Review

Ooooo The Last Line was little gem of a read. A bit of noir during the war.. yes please.

John Cook is an ex-military man who’s still sharp. While he would love to be back at the front he’s got the important job of helping with the resistance efforts.

Trouble comes quickly for John when he meets a girl named Mary.. she’s doesn’t know who to trust but John shows her he’s a man she could rely on.

Little does John know that just a short time later that very same girl will be found dead..and her death is brutal.

John is the prime suspect at first as he was seen with the girl, but it soon becomes clear the police aren’t really that interested.

The girl was right though.. John is a man she can rely on… he’s going to find out who hurt the girl and will bring them to justice!

This won’t be easy.. John is only at the tip of the iceberg!

The Last Line is tagged as a blistering action thriller combined with a smart noir mystery and I can’t sum it up any better. Typically as a fan of noir films I wondered how well it could come across in a book but Stephen Ronson effortlessly give us a intricate plot, mixed with the cynical undertone I love in noir.. it just worked!

The setting of the book was spot on too.. it worked so well for the plot, as at the time of the war and children being shipped off for their own safety anything could have happened!

Pace wise the chapters are a decent length.. again this just ticked the box as nothing was drawn out unnecessarily, just believable characters and the action following perfectly.

I really don’t want to give anything too vital away but the depth of the story really reminded me of the noir detective type movies I used to love watching when I was younger… edgy..dark and gritty. There’s depth not only of character but also of the plot with clever and interesting scenes throughout.

There’s clearly been a lot of time and effort put in to this offering and I for one say it’s well worth a read.

5/5 stars.

My thanks go to Stephen Ronson for reaching out and to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

You can pre-order the kindle version for £6.99 but If I was you opt for paperback at £9.99 😊.

If you want to find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon.